LibGuides: Local History Resources: Civil War

Civil War Casualties

Civil War Casualties

Freeport Duing the Civil War

Freeport During the Civil War

Freeport erected a 90-foot liberty pole
Later raised funds to erect 100-foot pole

Source: Nassau County in the Civil War, by Arnold Gates, 1963, (LI R 974.7245 G)

In 1868 there were 118 houses in Freeport. 61 homes were located on Main Street
Merrick Road was known was Plank Road and there was a tollgate near where the Freeport Hall apartments are today (Merrick Road and Long Beach Ave.)
Between 1860 and 1868 there were 25 businesses in Freeport
Two churches: Presbyterian and Methodist
Two schools: 1 private and 1 public – the public schools was in session 11 months of the year

Source: William E. Golder, "Freeport of 1868 Had Only 118 Houses; 51 Farms Within Present Village Limits," (newspaper not labeled)

About 40 men from Freeport served during the Civil War.
The polling location for the 1864 Presidential election was held at a hotel located on the corner of Main Street and Merrick Road.
In 1865, after the assassination of Lincoln, some Freeporters put emblems of morning and sympathy outside their homes.
After the war had ended, there was a celebration at the corner of Main Street and Merrick Road in vacant lot. A bonfire was kept burning during the evening and a cannon was fired every 20 minutes.

Source: William E. Golder, "Freeport Soon Forged Ahead of Hempstead After Southside Railroad Was Finished," (newspaper not labeled)

Mott Brothers

Mott Brother's Funeral Sermon, 1865
Discovers Grave of Prominent Civil War Veterans
Transcribed from the Nassau County Review, June 20, 1919, 7.

Grand Army of the Republic

Grand Army of the Republic, Dandridge B. P. Mott Post No. 527

Long Island During the Civil War

Long Island and the Civil War by Harrison Hunt; Bill Bleyer
Call Number: LI R 974.721 H
ISBN: 9781626197718
Publication Date: 2015-04-06
Although no battles were fought on Long Island, the Civil War deeply affected all of its residents. More than three thousand men--white and black--from current-day Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties answered the call to preserve the Union. While Confederate ships lurked within eight miles of Montauk Point, camps in Mineola and Willets Point trained regiments. Local women raised thousands of dollars for Union hospitals, and Long Island companies manufactured uniforms, drums and medicines for the army. At the same time, a little-remembered draft riot occurred in Jamaica in 1863. Local authors Harrison Hunt and Bill Bleyer explore this fascinating story, from the 1860 presidential campaign that polarized the region to the wartime experiences of Long Islanders on the battlefield and at home.
The Long Island Company by Chris Schnupp
Call Number: LI R 973.741 S
ISBN: 9781497427693
Publication Date: 2014-03-22
The American Civil War was the bloodiest conflict ever to occur on our shores, and certain groups distinguished themselves in ways no other could. This is the story of one of those groups; a detailed, true regimental history of Company H, 1st Regiment of U. S. Sharpshooters, also known as Berdan's Sharpshooters. Known for their distinctive uniforms, rifles, and risky tactics, they fought in battles at Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Petersburg, Cold Harbor, and Gettysburg.The volume documents the entire history of the unit, from their inception in 1861, until the end of the war in 1865. It also includes biographical sketches of the men that served, from privates to captains. Join us for a journey back in time, through one of the pivotal points in history for our nation.